The Sri Lankan government has offered its apology to Jay Shah, president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and secretary of the Indian board (BCCI), over former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga’s controversial remarks that Shah was responsible for “ruining” the Island nation’s cricketing structure.
In a clarification made by Sri Lankan ministers, Harin Fernando and Kanchan Wijesekara, during a parliament session – which was widely reported in the media – both politicians expressed their deep regret over the defamatory statement by Ranatunga.
“We as a government express our regret to the Asian Cricket Council chief Jay Shah. We cannot point our hands at the ACC or other countries for the shortcomings of our institutions. It is a wrong assumption," Wijesekara, who is a minister of power and energy, was quoted as saying in the parliament by several media outlets.
Later, Fernando, minister of tourism, informed that Sri Lankan president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has spoken to Shah regarding the ban imposed on Lankan cricket by the International Cricket Council.
Earlier this week, Ranatunga was quoted by Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror as saying that the country’s cricket board was being ruined because of pressure from Shah. “Because of the connection between SLC officials and Jay Shah, they (the BCCI) are under the impression that they can trample and control SLC. Shah is running Sri Lanka Cricket. SLC is being ruined because of pressure from Shah. One man in India is ruining Sri Lankan cricket,” Ranatunga said.
